My Industrial Cabin Build

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Good stuff s219. Thanks for posting this!!!! There's such a huge selection anymore that I find myself standing in the aisle staring at all of them not having a clue which to get.....

You just described me.

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Did not mean to offend or degrade . Only concerned with your safety . You are along way from help . Kevin .

Kevin, you didn’t offend me at all. I welcome the suggestions. There are some really good reasons to hire out things when you can. It would be a much better use of time to work on the farm and plant more apple trees and get the Cidery going. But all those tasks are dependent on our labor. But if we never have discussions about this stuff then people don’t have enough information to decide if they should or should not do it themselves.

 

[ededic]

I was up last night reading code and å*µreen building best practices as I get ready to set my joist hangers. I have to make a tun to the hardware store now, because my supply of screws does not meet the specs for the joist hangers.

I borrowed a pneumatic nailer for the joist hangars and hurricane/uplift straps on my build. I think it was a Grip-Rite GR150. I purchased them a box of nails in return, money well spent, you will need ear protection as it is loud.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Thais is a perfect example of why I like TBN so much. Great information. I had already tracked down the simpson strong tie fasteners. I had to drive over the pass and into the valley to get them at home depot, because Lowes website said they didn’t have them in stock in Charlottesville. I already have a large box of 3/8x8 inch GRK screws that are being used to tie the posts into the panes that will set next to them. So I knew the GRK would probably do bit since the Simpsons are made for the hangers, that was the best solution
I had already ordered the heavy duty over the wall style hangers because these are being attached to the top of a panel. They attach to a 2x6 spline that is set into the top of the panel. This is a common application for SIPs houses, so I’m not breaking new ground here.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I bought the 1 1/2 inch screws, the linger screws, and simpson brand 16d nails, as well as some griprite brand “joist hanger” nails.
I like the long screws for the top side (face)entry thru osb into the 2x6 spline. I like the nails for the top entry downward thru the spline and I like the 1 1/2 inch screws for the lower face entry that attaches to the osb. I will try to take a picture today to illustrate what I am talking about.

 

[s219]

I don稚 want the Fir posts to stand in rainwater and wick it up. It could cause extreme checking, warpage and perhaps rot.
So I decided to start doing the framing for the joists and roof trusses first. I really want to get this place dried in.

I was talking to my bride about the comments on the house. She was indignant about the suggestion of hiring a contractor. Her comment was do they not understand the point of building it yourself?
Now, I see both sides of the argument. If I had the money, i would be hiring someone and inspecting their work once or twice a week. But I don稚. And When people make that suggestion, I just assume they are coming from a good place and concerned with our safety.
But I知 not sure they understand the economic impact of these decisions. I am building a 2,540 sf single story house. Single story increases the cost because foundation is a major expense in building a house. In my area new houses cost approx $180-190/sf. If you aren稚 good at math , that puts me in a house for just shy of half a Million dollars. That doesn稚 include land. For that price you get half an acre of land. I am sitting on 54. Currently I have a loan on the land and I have paid cash for everything else associated with the house. I am not doing this because I知 stubborn or like to build stuff. It is because I don稚 want to be buried in debt. I have had a huge mortgage hanging over my head before. And I have also lived debt free. I want to escape the crippling enslavement of debt and building my own home will save me about $250,000.
Thats real money. So I agree with my wife on this. And Im thrilled to hear her say it. We are building it ourselves, with all the pain and danger because we
Think it is worth it.

I was thinking about this yesterday. I think the only people that can legitimately suggest you hire a contractor are folks that have built their own house and have suffered through the process. Their comment may be a combination of humor and humility and some lessons learned. For sure, building your own home will humble you and broaden your sense of humor, but it will make you smarter and stronger.

I do think it's important to be practical about some skills and strategically pick sub-contractors for certain tasks. I tend to try and do everything but there are some things I am glad to pass off to a pro that already has the equipment and tools. Or maybe they can do a better job than me. No shame in that. If you have a day job and/or other responsibilities limitations, it' even more reasonable to mix in some outside help.

Otherwise, I say full speed ahead and try to enjoy the process as you are suffering through it.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It was a pretty good weekend. My buddy George came up today and gave me a hand with the joists. We got a lot done. I still need to put in blocks but I toe nailed in the boards as well as joining them for overlap.

 

[Buppies]

I admire you and your wife fortitude great build to follow

 

[EddieWalker]

I was expecting a sloped ceiling over all of it. Are those 8 foot walls for all of your rooms?

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I admire you and your wife fortitude great build to follow

Thanks Buppies. While I was working on the joists this weekend, she was moving rick and fixing an erosion problem. She also pruned about half the trees in the orchard yesterday.